Table of Contents
Although Roanoke is among the Virginian cities that are late bloomers in the craft beer scene, it still offers several of the best breweries to grab the freshest beer. Roanoke has less than 10 actively operating breweries but do not worry; all of them are worth visiting as they produce tasty beers that have won numerous awards nationally.
If you want to know these places and wish to add them to your bucket list, here are the 7 best breweries to get fresh craft beers in Roanoke.
1. Three Notch’d Brewing – Craft Kitchen & Brewery
Three Notch’d is a Charlottesville original and is an award-winning microbrewery with five different locations across the state of Virginia, including Roanoke, where it’s known as Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery. Here, you can find various beer styles available on its 15 taps, with four of them being flagships and 10 being limited releases.
Craft Kitchen & Brewery boasts a superb pub menu and beer-infused dishes cooked with fresh and locally sourced ingredients. These delicious fares greatly pair well with any of the beers Three Notch’d offers. Moreover, there is a full bar with a selection of cocktails, and you should also check out its gluten-free and vegetarian food options.
- Crowd Favorite: Minute Man. An unfiltered, smooth-mouthfeel, and slightly bitter New England IPA with 7% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: 40 Mile
- Hop-py Note: Free Wi-Fi. Indoor and outdoor seating. Dog-friendly.
Hours: Open Fri & Sat 11am-10pm, Sun & Mon 11am-6pm, Tue Closed, Wed 11am–8pm, Thur Closed
Address: 24 Campbell Ave SE, Roanoke, VA 24011
Contact: (540)492-5005 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
2. Big Lick Brewing Company
Established in 2018, Big Lick welcomes its patrons in a spacious, fresh-looking taproom with a bar, private event room, and an unlimited-seating beer garden with fire pits and picnic tables. While sitting there and indulging in the relaxing vibe of the brewery, it is impossible not to crave pints of fruit beer, light lager, and stout, which are the flagships of the brewery.
Mouth-watering pub grubs like jerked chicken, pasta, and nachos are also freshly served from visiting food trucks in the brewery. And speaking of visiting the brewery, don’t worry about your parking here since Big Lick’s parking lot has 34 spaces for four wheels and 4 spaces for motorcycles, which is monitored 24/7 by video surveillance.
- Crowd Favorite: White Bronco. A creamy New England IPA with 6.9% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: Peace, Love & Hoppiness
- Hop-py Note: Dog-friendly. Live music. Bingo and trivia nights.
Hours: Open Fri 12pm-10pm, Sat 1pm-10pm, Sun 12m-8pm, Mon-Tue 4pm-9pm, Wed 12pm-9pm, Thur Closed
Address: 409 Salem Ave SW, Roanoke, VA 24016
Contact: (540)562-8383 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
3. Olde Salem Brewing Company
Born in Salem, Virginia, Olde Salem Brewing has branched out to the Historic Roanoke City Market. This location offers the same environment and beers as its original one and the addition of several local guest taps. You can expect to find around 20 brews on tap ranging from stouts and doppelbocks to IPAs and ales.
Olde Salem at Roanoke has a clean, modern taproom with white walls and a small-sized bar. This location is perfect if you are up for some fun, as it regularly hosts events and has televisions on the walls where you can watch sports matches.
- Crowd Favorite: Township Rebellion. A smooth New England IPA with 6.5% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: Blindman In the Dark
- Hop-py Note: Dog-friendly. Live music. Sells merchandise.
- Fun Fact: Olde Salem’s original building was built in 1920 and served as an appliance store for years.
Hours: Open Mon – Thur 12pm – 9pm, Fri & Sat 12pm – 11pm, Sun 12pm – 8pm.
Address: 21 E Main St, Salem, VA 24153
Contact: (540) 404-4399 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
4. Starr Hill Pilot Brewery & Side Stage
Starr Hill is a regional brewery in Crozet and has 5 other locations across Virginia, including in Roanoke. For the past 2 decades, Starr Hill has proved itself to be a sought-after brewery with its 24 awards from known beer competitions like the GABF, Great British Beer Festival, and World Beer Cup.
Starr Hill’s Roanoke location is just as great as its other branches. It is open daily and features 20 brews in its cozy taproom. Moreover, an outdoor patio is open all year round and welcomes all furry friends, especially well-behaved dogs.
- Crowd Favorite: Northern Lights IPA. A well-balanced and delicious American IPA with 6.2% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: The Love Wheat Beer
- Hop-py Note: Live music. Sells merchandise. Occasional yoga class. Private event booking,
- Fun Fact: Starr Hill’s locations each support local non-profit organizations, and for its Roanoke branch, it donates to Huddle Up Moms Charity.
Hours: Open Fri 12pm-10pm, Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 1pm-7pm, Mon & Tue 12pm-9pm, Wed 12pm–10pm, Thur Closed
Address: 6 Old Whitmore Ave, Roanoke, VA 24016
Contact: (540)685-2012 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
5. A Few Old Goats Brewing
Started pouring drinks in 2018, AFOG, as it calls itself, is a 2-barrel nano-brewery. A great set of cream ale goes, stouts and IPAs are produced here, creating a strong lineup of 16 beers on tap that patrons keep coming back for. If you can’t relish your beers on-site, no worries since you can grab a 16 oz can to-go and a 32 oz growler to-go.
Have your pints and flights of four in AFOG’s casual and cozy taproom with a bar or in the extensive beer garden with many selections of different metal tables and chairs. Don’t miss out on playing in the brewery’s pinball machine, or your AFOG experience will be incomplete.
- Crowd Favorite: Mitigated Clarity. A smooth and hazy imperial IPA with 8.6% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: Pillow Talk
- Hop-py Note: Trivia nights. Live music. Dog-friendly.
Hours: Open Wed 4pm-9pm, Thur 3pm-7pm, Fri 2pm-9pm, Sat 12pm-9pm, Sun 12:30-7pm, Mon 3pm-7pm, Tue Closed
Address: 515 8th St SW # 228, Roanoke, VA 24016
Contact: (540)339-9562 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
6. Golden Cactus Brewing
If you are up for some industrial vibe and refreshing beers, visit Golden Cactus, a brewery just 10 minutes away from Downtown Roanoke. It only opened in late 2020, so expect only a few selections of beers but don’t worry, all of their brews are great, and most of them are German-style beers.
Golden Cactus is a certified dog-friendly brewery, so bring your furry friends and enjoy delicious beers while relaxing in its lively taproom or patio. And if you are looking for some food to eat, there is a Mexican restaurant next door where you can grab some fare and bring it to the taproom.
- Crowd Favorite: Pam Across the Street. A delicious roast porter with 5.5% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: Pils R Güd
- Hop-py Note: Occasional events and live music. Free parking. Sells merchandise.
- Fun Fact: The building of Golden Cactus used to be the Nehi Soda Factory.
Hours: Open Fri & Sat 12pm-10pm, Sun 10am-8pm, Mon-Wed 3pm-9pm, Thur Closed
Address: 214 5th St SW, Roanoke, VA 24016
Contact: (540)566-3071 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
7. Twisted Track Brewpub
Twisted Track started pouring beers in 2020, led by a team of four different personalities. Will Landry, the brewery’s co-founder, is the first to consider opening a brewery in Roanoke. Through his brewing journey, he met the other three founders who share the same passion as him. Today, Twisted Track is a place where people can gather and have a great time while sipping delicious beers.
Twisted Track is a full-scale brewery and kitchen, serving fresh beers on draft and classic American pub fares like burgers and wings. There are also ciders and wines for non-beer fans to enjoy. And lastly, the place features a spacious taproom so if you are in a group looking for tasty brews, make sure to stop by.
- Crowd Favorite: Revolution NE IPA. A hazy and fruity New England IPA with 5.3% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: Union Pacific IPA
- Hop-py Note: Private event rentals. Trivia Nights. Occasional events.
Hours: Open Tue-Thur 4pm-9pm, Fri & Sat 12pm-10pm, Sun 12pm-7pm, Mon Closed
Address: 523 Shenandoah Ave NW, Roanoke, VA 24016
Contact: (540)339-9776 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
